State Rep. Kagi gets two opponents

By Evan Smith

Democratic 32nd District State Rep. Ruth Kagi has two announced opponents for the 2016 election.

Neither is a Republican.

One is Libertarian Alex Hart of Shoreline. The other is Shoreline Democrat Wes Irwin, who recently worked on the Washington Bernie-Sanders-for-president campaign.

The 32nd Legislative District includes the city of Shoreline and part of northwest Seattle, Woodway and nearby unincorporated areas, parts of Edmonds and Mountlake Terrace and the city of Lynnwood.

Hart, Irwin and Kagi all have registered as candidates for the position with the state Public Disclosure Commission.

Registering with the Public Disclosure Commission allows a candidate to raise and spend money for the August primary and November general election. Candidates file for ballot position Monday, May16 through Friday, May 20.

The top two vote getters for each position in the primary, regardless of party, qualify for the general-election ballot.

Irwin says he wants to “continue the revolutionary campaign momentum” of the Sanders campaign and “tackle the grotesque Washington State Public School funding deficit head-on.”

Irwin has not responded to requests for identifying information.

Kagi plans to seek a 10th two-year term in the House of Representatives. She is chairwoman of the House committee on early learning and human services and a member of the Appropriations Committee.

The district’s other representative, Democrat Cindy Ryu, has no announced challengers in her planned run for a fourth two-year term.

Edmonds Republican Alvin Rutledge says that he may run for one of the positions.

The district’s state senator, Democrat Maralyn Chase, is in the middle of a four-year term.

Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com.